Patch Peer Panel Question of the Week

This week's Peer Panel question comes from the Ladue-Frontenac Patch. Patch wants to know if 18-year-olds are registered and ready to vote? The Super Tuesday primary lands in Missouri this week.

Do teen agers care generally about local or national politics at all?

Allison Hermann, St. Joseph's Academy

I do think that 18 year olds bother to vote, but I do not believe that many will be voting in Missouri's primary. The Missouri primary is not as important to teenagers as voting for President, especially because the Missouri Primary is not even going to count.

I do believe thought that politics matters to 18 year olds. The election is a big topic in school at the moment and people are always telling teenagers that they have to vote  and support what they want and for the person who they want.

If 18 year olds are not that interested in politics, I still believe that many will vote just for the experience. Politics may not be the main topic in the lunch room or at a party, but I truly believe that many 18 years olds care about politics and will take the time to register and vote to voice their opinion.

Cate Toman, St. Joseph's Academy

Personally, I don’t think that I would have decided to vote if I wouldn’t have taken a class on current politics. I wouldn’t have known anything about any of the candidates!.

But I did take the class, so I was able to form my own opinions about the candidates and their beliefs; I’m definitely planning on voting this year. Politics aren’t my favorite thing to talk about, and they aren’t common fodder for lunch conversation, but I think people my age know enough about politics to have some sort of conversation about them—at least an idea of what’s going on.

Victoria Watson, Villa Duchesne

I don’t know if there has been any pressure on the students of age to vote in the Primary on Tuesday. Because it’s just a primary, and not the presidential election, I don’t think as many students as possible will be voting.

Like anything else, there are students who are involved and politically aware and students who do not pay attention to the upcoming election. Those who consider politics to be important will act accordingly.

I would consider myself engaged in the political process. I follow news corporations on Twitter and watch the nightly news to receive updates on the different candidates and their policy plans.

To some of my peers and me, politics matter. My generation has many problems facing them with what appear to be few solutions. Because of America’s current situation, I feel that, as a young adult, it is my responsibility to be involved and informed.

I want to be a contributing citizen of this country, and being informed enough to choose who I feel is the best candidate for president is my way of doing so.

Isabelle Stillman, John Burroughs

I think most teenagers will vote, but not all will be well informed. The degree to which teenagers are interested depends on the person - some have followed the campaigns closely, and others not so much. I think the results matter to everyone, but certain people are more interested than others.

Spencer Desai, MICDS

I know many of the students who are eligible to vote will do so at every opportunity they have and I know when my friends and I turn 18, we will vote come election time. While I am somewhat engaged in the poltical process right now, I am not entirely paying attention to it.

When the Republican candidate is decided then I will begin to focus on the political race. The political process does and should matter to most teens that I know because we realize that, now more than ever, the country needs strong leaders and we have the power to get them there.

Molly Soto, St. Joseph's Academy

 I do not think many of the students at my school are planning on voting in the primary electron on Tuesday. I honestly believe that some are not even aware that is primary is happening.

There is has not been much advertisement of the primary from teachers or on the news. I am not very engaged in the political process because I have not followed the candidates. My peers and I are starting to follow the candidates and familiarize ourselves with issues but we are not fully involved in the primary election.       

Curt Walls, Ladue Horton Watkins

No, most students aren't voting in the primary election because they feel like their vote won't matter or are too lazy to act upon anything.